During our stay in Aruba, the hubby & I enjoyed so many great meals with our friends!  Let me just start by saying that Aruba really knows food, good food at that!  We visited Aqua Grill, El Gaucho, Gostoso, Madame Jeanette, & Hostaria Da Vittorio, just to name a few.
     Disclaimer:  I hope you've eaten before you read this, because these pictures will make your mouth water and your tummy growl!

Gostosos:  Above is the Creole "sushi roll" which I think was the best thing ever, I think I'm craving it just looking at the picture!  It had seafood (salmon or shrimp-you pick), cream cheese, & plantains! 
     Below is the Espetada a la Marinera, its a hanging kebab made with bacon wrapped grouper.  This is probably the coolest presentation I've seen at a restaurant.  The hubby loved it so much, I think he's fav fish is grouper now!

     After our dinner was devoured, the waitstaiff came and brought the hubby & I dessert and sang to us!  The plate read "Pabien (means congratulations in papiamento) Newlyweds."   It was super sweet (the singing & the gesture) and the cake was scrumptious too!

     Did I mention that I have a sweet tooth?  We ended up ordering 3 desserts:  tiramisu, tres leches, & cheesecake (I think).  All yummy!

    Below is from Madame Janette's.  We loved the atmosphere of the restaurant (outdoor seating, candle lit dinner, & delish drink menu).  This is their Jumbo Shrimp "Coco di Rasta."  A friend had it for his dinner and raved about it!  I had their Sea Bass (no picture), which was very good, but I left the restaurant way too full!  You can notice how big their portions are, so you either have leftovers to enjoy the next day or you need to share with a loved one!  Or if you're me... you'll need a wheel barrel to carry yourself out of there!

     Next is Hostaria Da Vittorio, an Italian Restaurant located next to the Aqua Grill (all within walking distance from The Westin).  This place was so yummy and the service was excellent.  Below the hubby's food is pictured, some type of seafood linguine and I had ravioli, as you can see there is no picture (sometimes the food is gone that fast, even before the picture is taken)!  Sorry people, I'm a heffer! 

Here's their "bread" (more like a pita) they serve before dinner.  It was really different, but yummy dipped in olive oil.

     If you are a steak lover, El Gaucho is the place to go!  This by far was the hubby's favorite restaurant in Aruba.  Him and a couple of are friends say that this steak is the best they ever had!  The waiter even told us that the meat comes all the way from Argentina, so it's really authentic!

     If you've been keeping up with my blog, you'll know we had our Welcome Dinner at Aqua Grill, which was a very succesful event.  We served Mahi Mahi with jumbo shrimp & polenta or Asian Grilled Chicken with stir fried veggies & rice.  I must say that the food for our Welcome Dinner was excellent as well! You can read more about our event here.

     A lot of friends visited Le Petite Cafe for breakfast daily because of their great breakfast prices, while the hubby & I enjoyed the breakfast buffet at The Westin's Bon Bini Cafe.  Some of our other guests did visit Le Petite for dinner as well.  This was their dinner entree (seafood platter) which was served on a 600 degree volcanic stone.   

     Last but not least, our favorite:  the KitKat Mcflurry!  The one thing that a lot of us won't be able to forget is visiting Aruba's McDonald's asking for a KitKat Mcflurry and getting vanilla soft serve with bits of KitKat pieces on top!  Aruba doesn't have a Mcflurry machine so this is what we ended up with!  We later joked with one another and said it was false advertising!  But the "Mcflurry" was still good nonetheless!

     Every restaurant we ate at was so worth the money and the weight gain!  I don't think that any of our friends and family were ever disappointed with the places they dined with. 
     So even if you hear that a lot of the places are over priced, (what do you expect, you're on vacation) just enjoy it 'cause Aruba only happens once in a while!  SO EAT UP!!

     Because we are so grateful for our friends and family that came to celebrate in our joy, we wanted to treat them to a little piece of Aruba.  And what better way to do that than take them on a sailing and snorkeling trip!  We left this part as a surprise and announced it to everyone during our welcome dinner at The Aqua Grill. 
     The look on the faces of all our loved ones was priceless, and for that reaction alone, it was worth the money!  Besides, we knew everyone would have a blast (and we were right)!  All our guests were so excited and couldn't wait!
    

      We chose to private charter a boat through Mi Dushi, because of the great reviews and also because of the pier's location (which was right next to the Westin).  We chose the Sundown Safari package, which included up to 40 guests (with a max of 60-just pay individual prices exceeding the 40 guests), open bar, snacks, 2 snorkeling locations, and 3 hours of sailing!

     The crew was great!  They were so friendly and really showed us a fun time!  There were 3 crew members along for the ride, the captain, snorkeling expert Victor, & the bartender (I'm bad with names-sorry!). 
    

     Victor demonstrates the dos & don'ts of snokeling!  He made everyone laugh with his comedic personality!

Everyone from every age range came along for the fun, but the older ones had a harder time enjoying it just as much as the younger ones.  Lets just say I wish I added Dramamine (or barf bags) to our Welcome Bags! 

     While the husband pretended to man the boat it was  time for me to get in the water!  The first snorkeling location we stopped at, the water was a little choppy and murky, so needless to say, wasn't that great for seeing life under water.  But the second stop, was AMAZING!! (I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the shipwreck area).  There was so much underwater life:  gorgeous fish, unbelievable shipwreck, and even sea turtles!  Another friend even saw an eel (scary, but cool at the same time)!!  Snorkeling this shipwreck area was probably the most memorable part of my vacation to Aruba (besides the wedding itself)! 

     After snorkeling was done, we all enjoyed the rest of the sailing trip and watched the beautiful Aruba sunset! 

And once the boat was anchored near shore, some of the guests left on the water taxi (the older ones who got motion sickness), while the young ones stayed in anticipation to use the rope swing!

     After the whole excursion came to an end, we all walked back to the Westin from the De Palm Pier and took the opportunity to take some amazing shots with the sunset!  Here's all my girls & I taking that big leap for the cameras!  So beautiful!

     The whole day was amazing!  I'm glad the hubby & I chose to do this sailing & snorkeling excursion for everyone!  It's the least we could do for them since they came to Aruba for our wedding!  It was such a wonderful time and will forever be lasting memories.

     Once cocktail hour came to an end, all our guests were escorted to our reception at the Westin's Sirocco Lounge, an outdoor reception area full of beautifully decorated tables and two lounge seating areas.  The maximum for this reception is about 50, which we reached to its full capacity (and then some).

                                             SOURCE
    
     Let's get this party started so on with the introductions already!  Here the hubby and I patiently wait for the DJ to introduce our wedding party and then introduce, MR. & MRS. MADRIDEJOS!!

     Let's just say that every time that Justin Bieber song, "Baby baby" comes on, all our guests will be reminded of our wedding!  It was our wedding entourage's intro song, look at them getting down!  They certainly helped get the party started for sure!

     Next up, the newlyweds!!  If you read some of my posts, Jeff & I partied in DC the first night we met, so we always joked and said that Flo Rida's song, "Low" is our song!  So of course it would only be right, if that's what song was playing while introduced as the Mr. & Mrs.

     After the fun intros, it was time to get our eat on!  For those couples getting married at the Westin, we totally recommend the plated dinner #1, our guests are still talking about it!  The entrees were Grilled Iron Steak & Chilean Sea Bass!  The bass was to die for and the steak was cooked to perfection.  But before the entrees were served,  a tomato mozzarella salad was presented for starters. 

     Here's a picture of the Flat Iron Steak courtesy of a guest, but unfortunately I don't have a picture of the Sea Bass (it was eaten up before the picture was thought of)!

     Desserts are always the best part of the dinner, right?  Our dinner selection included chocolate macadamia pie, but unfortunately I didn't get to indulge in it, I was too busy having fun!  It's true when they say that brides will hardly eat on their wedding day, there's to much going on (but in a good way)!

     After dinner was through, the FUN really began with lots of dancing, drinking, and partying with a little paparazzi moments mixed in!  Our DJs did a really great job (Cool Pro DJs), they kept the music flowing and our guests on their feet! 

Even our server, Judith, had a great time at our wedding!  I have to give Judith a shout out, she was the sweetest person ever and I'm so glad we had the privilege of having her at two of our events, the wedding reception and our farewell brunch.

     Even after they played the last song, our guests kept chanting "ONE MORE SONG, ONE MORE SONG..." and the DJs granted our wish and guess what the song was!?  "Baby, baby, baby, oohhh, like baby baby baby...!"  Can you see why I totally have Beiber Fever now!?  Haha!
     Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, it was so much fun that we had wedding crashers during the last song!  No worries though, it just made me think that our wedding was a party not to be missed!

     I also have to give Patrick, our wedding coordinator a huge THANK YOU for pulling it off even with a power outage!  He stayed with us until the end of the night and he went above and beyond his call of duty, to even go to the store and get citronella candles and mosquito repellent (the mosquitos were out that night, but it was the only night we noticed them, not sure if it was due to having no power), but that couldn't even ruin our night of fun!  Our big day will forever be embedded as one of my best days ever, after all it was in gorgeous Aruba surrounded by loving family and friends, and of course my LOVE! 
     What do you remember most about your big day?  What kind of challenges did you come across during your big day?

     After our heartfelt wedding ceremony, it was time for the guests to mix and mingle.  What better way to showcase Aruba's beaches & sunset than to host our cocktail hour on the beach (same area of our ceremony)!  So while the sun was setting, our friends & family enjoyed drinks, hor dourves, and the sounds of a caribbean steel pan player! 

     Jeff and I had the privilege of having a site visit last year while planning our wedding and we had the opportunity to have a food and cake tasting.  We preselected our cocktail hour hor dourvers and they were delicious!  We chose the chicken satay, shrimp with mango relish served on a spoon, chilled beef tenderloin on foccaccia, & conch fritters.  Though Jeff and I tried the appetizers during our site visit, we didn't get to enjoy them during the actual cocktail hour, but I know everyone else did. 

     During cocktail hour the hubby & I were having our own wedding shoot and so did everyone else!  Here are some of my girls, aren't they beautiful with their colorful dresses and sun kissed tans!? 

     I'm glad that the bamboo arch had more use than us just using it!  We chose a simple bamboo arch without any floral decor, we didn't want to take away from the already beautiful scenery and besides being simple is just our style.

     You might be wondering where all the fellas are in the photos.  Where else but at the bar, right?!  All our guests enjoyed a fully stocked open bar.  From what I heard our bartenders weren't being greedy with the alcohol either!  So everyone was having fun and feeling nice!

     So while our family & friends were getting the party started, this is what the newlyweds were doing.  Here's a sneak preview of some of the shots our photographers took!  They really have an artistic eye and I can't wait to see the outcome of the pictures! 

     So our guests got to enjoy each others company while I enjoyed the alone time with my new hubby (and the photographers).  Did you enjoy your cocktail hour with your guests or did you have one on one time with your husband?

     I've been asked to post pictures of our cake, so I'll skip all the other stuff right now and fill that request (anything to help a fellow bride)!  Below is the inspirational picture of our cake that Jeff & I showed our wedding coordinator during our site visit last year. 
     Because I've heard horror stories of cake replicas at destination weddings my expectations for our cake wasn't very high.  Stepping into our reception, I was a little scared to see the cake table.  I was thinking I was going to see a hot mess!  I feel bad for even saying it cause I know you should have more faith in your cake baker, but when you haven't seen previous photos of their work, you just think the worst I guess. 

                                                     SOURCE

     The Westin's cake baker proved me wrong!  When I saw the cake table, I was in awe.  The cake looked beautiful and it was beyond my expectations!  The detail work was amazing, though this picture doesn't show it as well, it was gorgeous in person. 

     Here's a closer look.  The fondant was imprinted with a floral design (it's kind of hard to see in this photo, but believe me it was gorgeous) and then garnished with real seashells.  The flavors we chose were chocolate cake with dulce de leche (bottom tier), chocolate cake with vanilla custard (middle tier), & chocolate cake with chocolate custard (top tier). 
     The hubby and I had a cake tasting during the site visit and I remember it being very delicious, but to be honest, I didn't eat cake at our wedding (besides the traditional cake cutting & feeding moment).  I know, you're like "WHAT?" but I was having too much fun at our reception and there was no time for eating cake or even the macadamia pie that was served after dinner!  But I did hear from some of our guests that the cake was really yummy! 

     So after the reception was all said and done, the top layer of our cake was delivered to our room.  I didn't realize that the waitstaff saved it for us to enjoy together, what a sweet gesture!  Again, we still didn't eat it!  Jeff was so determined to get this home in one piece to devour on our 1 year anniversary!  Sometimes he can be more sentimental than me (one of my favorite traits), so I agreed just as long as he was the one carrying it! 
     The cake made it home safely and is now wrapped in tons of plastic and foil wrap in our freezer!  The thought of eating cake a year old doesn't sound appetizing, but I guess I can do it for the sake of tradition! 

     In the end, we were both very pleased with the work that was done and it got me wondering why I was even worried in the first place!  Just makes you think that we should all have a little faith and if it doesn't work out the way we hoped for, just let it go-no biggie, minor detail for the BIG DAY!
     Were you surprised with your cake outcome?  In a good way or bad? 

     Another anticipating moment occurred last night, when my BFF called me last night frantic!  When I finally answered her call, she yells, "What took you so long to answer the phone!?" 

My response, "I'm watching a movie with the boo!  What's wrong?"

"Your wedding photos are posted on Scott Hayne's blog!  The link just got posted to your Facebook!"

Of course my reaction was pure excitement with lots of screaming!  So I quickly paused the movie and got on the Hayne's website!  I then got off the phone with the BFF so I can enjoy the moment with the hubby!      OMG...I got teary eyed looking at the photos and reliving the moment all over again!  I'm so in love with the pictures and just so impressed with how our BIG DAY was captured!  Our amazing photographers, Hayne Photographers, always leave me speechless!  I can't describe in words how these pictures make me feel and can you imagine this is just a sample!!  I can't wait to see the rest of the photo gallery, I know that I'll probably gush into tears and maybe even cry a river!
     See what I mean!  This picture below was taken when I received Jeff's wedding gift and letter!  He wrote me the most amazing letter and just talking about it gets me choked up!  I love that man with all my heart and I'm utterly happy he will be mine forever!

     This is one of my favorite pictures!  I love how they caught my love crying as my parents walk me down the white sandy aisle! 

The beautiful scenery of Aruba will never let you down!  This was taken while the sun was setting behind us!  Not only was the sunset gorgeous, but so was our wedding party!

Our wedding day has just been the most memorable part of my life thus far and seeing the rest of the photos will just make my heart jump for joy!  Check out the blog to see more amazing wedding photos!
                               Wedding Day in Aruba 

If you haven't already, check out our Trash the Dress session too!
                                    Trash the Dress

Enjoy the pictures and let me know which one leaves you speechless!

     I found out today from a co-worker that our wedding is featured on an Arubian website, visitaruba.com, how exciting is that!?  Out of all the weddings that were taken place on the picturesque island, they chose to feature ours!  I had no idea they were going to do this so thanks to my friend who was just surfing the net for her next vacation spot. 

     See on the right side under Latest Aruba News... Jeff & I are that Virginia couple!  Eekkss, we're famous, well not really but we're very flattered!  So check out the site to read a little wedding excerpt and see a couple of our wedding pictures!
                                       OUR ARUBA WEDDING
     Oh yeah and they featured our Welcome Dinner at Aqua Grill as well!  Aruba LOVES us just as much as we love them!     
                                       OUR WELCOME DINNER
     Did you come across any good surprises after your wedding?

     So you read the post about me finding 'The One' and now is the time to show her off!  Without further ado here's my Jim Hjelm 8950.

     I just love the neckline of the dress and its form fitting style.  This dress was very much me.  Though it have been a little challenging getting into the dress, it was all worth it in the end!

     The dress really did show off my 'ass'ets, but there's nothing wrong with that right!?  With this train I ended up with a french bustle, which looked gorgeous during the reception, and might I add worked well during our first dance (stay tuned for that post)!

     Though the dress might not be beach appropriate, it was me, and that's what it's really all about right!  It's all about me & 'The One' (and I do mean the hubby this time)!

     Did your dress reflect your style or was it something totally not you, but still fell in love with it?

                                             SOURCE
     The day before our beach wedding, the hubby & I followed our photographers around the gorgeous island of Aruba to "Trash the Dress!"  It was probably the best part of the entire trip!  Scott, Adina, & Hunter's talent are beyond words and their photos are jaw dropping gorgeous!   
     The anticipated email finally arrived today!  Our pictures have been blogged by the ever talented Hayne Photographers!  I just wanted to share with you the fabulous pictures and to let everyone know how much we highly recommend the Haynes as photographers!  Not only are they talented, but they are truly sincere, down to earth people, who Jeff and I consider great friends after sharing this wonderful milestone in our lives!!  Much love goes to them and they're work!!
     So check out the blog...
http://www.scotthayneblog.com/aruba-beach-wedding-photographer-photography-destination-filipino/

     Here is a closer look at the Welcome book I added to the OOT bags.

     Below are 2 of the pages that I added to the welcome book so that our guests were in the know about our events for the weekend.  If you plan on making an itinerary, making welcome books are so fun and easy.  For you Aruba brides, if you'd like the pages just ask me and I'll email them to you!  I added maps of Aruba (geographical, hotel, & restaurant maps), Aruba info, a thank you note, photoshare site info, guest room phone list, & Papiamento/English translation, so thats 13 pages total. 
  

  I bought plastic photo albums from the Dollar Store and printed the pages on linen paper and cut the page in 4s.  I informed the guests to turn the Welcome Book into a photo book after vacay, so that's a 2 for 1 deal!

Here is some Aruba info I added...Weather, transportation, phone calls, just the island basics!

     How do you plan on informing your guests of your wedding events?